Sedums and Stonecrops

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Sedums, or stonecrops, are small succulents that store water in fleshy leaves and ask for very little: sun, drainage and not much else. They are grown for texture and colour in places too hot, shallow or dry for most plants, from the cracks of a rock wall to a bowl on a sunny table. The range falls into three groups: creeping mats for groundcover, trailing kinds for baskets, and upright border sedums that flower in late summer and autumn.

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How to choose a sedum

Decide what job the plant has to do. For a low carpet between rocks or pavers, choose a creeper. Golden Moss makes a tight mat under 10cm tall with yellow starry flowers, and Chocolate Mound Stonecrop does the same job in dark bronze foliage. For a hanging basket or a tall pot, Burro's Tail grows long ropes of plump blue green leaves. Green Jelly Beans is a small bushy plant whose bead-like leaves blush red in strong sun.

The upright border types are a different plant in habit. Thundercloud Sedum forms a clump of fleshy stems 20cm to 40cm tall, topped with flat heads of flowers from late summer into autumn that bees work heavily. These die back to the ground in winter and return in spring.

Where sedums grow

Sedums are at their strongest in temperate and Mediterranean climates with dry summers and cool winters. Give them full sun, or a little afternoon shade in very hot inland districts, and soil that drains fast: gravelly beds, raised planters, the tops of retaining walls, green roofs and shallow bowls. Most of the creeping and upright kinds are frost hardy. Burro's Tail and Green Jelly Beans are frost tender and belong under cover in cold areas.

In the humid subtropics and tropics, grow sedums in pots with gritty mix and shelter from prolonged summer rain, because constant wet rots them. They mix naturally with other rockery plants and with the wider range of succulents.

Planting and spacing

Plant creeping sedums 15cm to 25cm apart for cover within a season or two, and upright sedums 30cm to 40cm apart. In the ground, mix coarse sand or fine gravel into heavy soil, or mound the bed so water runs away. In pots, use a cactus and succulent mix and a container with open drainage holes. Set plants at the same depth they grew, firm them in and water once. A gravel mulch keeps the crown dry and looks right; avoid thick organic mulch against the stems.

Care basics

Water when the soil has dried out, more often in pots than in the ground, and much less in winter. A light feed in spring with a slow release fertiliser is enough; rich feeding makes soft, floppy growth. Cut the old stems of upright sedums to the ground in late winter before new shoots rise. Trim creeping kinds after flowering to keep the mat dense. Nearly all sedums root from pieces: push a stem or even a fallen leaf into gritty mix and it will grow. Handle Burro's Tail gently, because the leaves drop at a touch. For more on watering and light, see our succulent care guide.

Common questions

Do sedums need full sun?

Most do. In shade they stretch, lose colour and flower poorly. Burro's Tail prefers bright light with protection from harsh afternoon sun.

Can I walk on sedum groundcover?

Only occasionally. The stems are brittle and break under regular foot traffic, so use it beside stepping stones, not as a path.

Why is my sedum rotting at the base?

Too much water or poor drainage is nearly always the cause. Let the soil dry between waterings and replant into a grittier mix.

Do sedums die in winter?

The upright border types die back to the crown in winter and reshoot in spring. Creeping and trailing sedums are evergreen.